Wild Camping along the North Downs Way Section 8: Detling to Lenham

An early dog walker doing his duty? A grumpy local on a mission? Or maybe even a terribly intelligent animal making its way towards our little hiding place?! Whatever it was, the creaking sounds it brought with it as it opened the swinging gates which cheerfully welcomed us to Thurnam’s castle grounds the night before, now pulled me out of my blissful slumber. Unsure how to deal with the situation not having been caught in the act just yet, and not quite ready to brave the chilly temperatures I could feel coming off the grounds when moving to have another listen, I held on to my sleeping mat like a life raft whilst having a think what to do next.

The creaking sound was not followed by any footsteps or barks, and the neighbouring tent remained silent as well, wherefore I allowed myself to snuggle up in my sleeping bag again, embrace the warmth it offered and return to the fairytale-like dreams our surroundings inspired.

I was slowly drifting off again, dreamingly strolling along the castle courtyard waiting for Bridgerton-like scenes to unfold, as I heard it again, twice this time, followed by an unidentifiable sound making me feel rather uneasy. Time to get up and face reality I thought, and as I unzipped my tent, I was greeted by a gentle morning breeze brushing through the dew-dipped grass around me, the drops reflecting the first rays of the day as they slowly tumbled to the grounds, a soundless and yet captivating phenomenon making me forget about those traitorous gates for a moment, until they went again, and again, but still no soul in sight.

It made me wonder if there was another walkway we did not see the day before or perhaps they already spotted our tents and decided to avoid the area, or even worse, tattle on us. Either way, I did not want to find out, so decided to get up and start packing, erase all evidence of our nightly invasion. Just as I did, I spotted some movement ‘next door’. He was alive, and apparently less concerned than I was already having made up a convincing story himself if we were to be discovered, which he highly doubted as the gate apparently had been screaming for attention all night, and no intruder materialised, at least none that we were aware of, …or could see — it was an ancient castle ground after all with lots of history floating around.

Given the name, the castle is often linked to Robert de Thurnam who, like his son in later years, crusaded with Richard the Lionhart during the 12th century. First officially mentioned in a document in 1225, the castle is assumed to go back to the 11th century when hundreds of Norman ‘motte-and-bailey’ castles were built all over England. Other sources even suggest that Thurnam Castle might have been built on an earlier Saxon fortification known as Godard’s Castle which itself took the place of a watchtower overlooking the ridge of the North Downs.

Back then serving as place to retreat to when under attack, on 10th October 2020, its ruins kindly offered shelter from the winds which appeared to pick up again as we had our morning coffees whilst waiting for our tents to thaw. I did not notice when I first left my tent, but the condensation on my porch door actually froze in the crisp morning air leaving a thin layer of ice on the fabric, delaying our departure even further and thereby increasing our chances of being discovered and scolded. Despite initial hesitation, the sun slowly climbed over the stone walls, its rays melting the ice and worries away. And just as we stuffed our last few bits into our bags, a cheeky little dog ran up to us, closely followed by his less furry parent who cheerfully wished us a good morning and went about his day.

So did we, undiscovered, unscolded, and in great spirits having a shorter section and potentially even a well-deserved comfort stop ahead of us. But not wanting to jump ahead, here more detail what this section has in store for happy hikers not afraid of the ups and downs this trail, and life in general, offers.

Section 8: Detling to Lenham, 9.3 miles (14.9 km)

Ups and downs were definitely back on the agenda after the last rather steady section. Section 8 might be short but still packs a punch as its first half is made up of several ascents and descents, and many many steps to go with it.

Not wanting to spoil the fun, but according to the guide book, some of those can be avoided by taking an unofficial diversion through the White Horse Wood Country Park, something we did not do. Claiming that was a conscious decision would be a lie as we simply did not know, but I’d still like to think we would have chosen the more challenging route if we did, especially as it made our little pit stop at the Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne even more joyful and deserved — and oooooh, joyful it was indeed.

I said it before and I say it again, wild camping is not only a truly liberating experience making you feel in charge, but it’s also the perfect way to reset your system and get excited about the tiniest things in life. I’ve shared my thought-provoking trowel moment before, but thinking back once more about my Lake District adventure, I also frequently recall that moment when we returned to ‘civilisation’ and I used the bathroom in the first pub we stopped at, finding myself grinning from ear to ear as the warm toilet seat welcomed my behind.

Stopping at the Dirty Habit, a pub that’s awaiting you on this section, brought such reminiscent thoughts back to mind not only lifting my spirits but causing severe excitement I could not help but had to share with Ian once I returned to our table where a refreshing shandy and some crisps were already awaiting me. It made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world who was totally elated by finding real soap and moisturiser in the bathroom, pure luxury after two nights out in the woods.

It’s all about the little things, and of those, there were many on this stretch which I just briefly want to touch on having noticed that I’m getting terribly close to SEO-unfriendly territory again, a bad, or maybe even ‘dirty habit’ I’m trying not to fall back into. So, without further ado, here a few more pictorial impressions for you to enjoy, and hopefully you’ll join us again for the next section(s):